Car-coupling



H. GALLAGER. GAR GOUPLING. n

No. 431,768. i Patented J111y18, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY GALLAGER, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,768, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed May 9, 1890.v

To au whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY GALLAGER, residing at Savannah, Chatham county, and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to car-couplers, and particularly to that class thereof known as twin-j aw couplers, and has for its obj ect to provide a coupler of this class that shall be automatiein some of its operations; and it consists of a minimum number of simple parts.

Vith these objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction of parts and the novel combination or arrangement of the same, such as shown in the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter fully explained.

In the drawings forming apart of this specification, Figure l is a perspective View of my coupler as applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of two couplers coupled, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of my coupler.

In my improved coupler the draw-bar A is of the usual or any preferred construction, and may be secured to the carin any suitable manner. The outer or forward end of the draw-bar is provided with the head B, which head consists of xed jaws C C', rigid with the draw-bar and forming the throat of the head, anda movable jaw or section D, the latter section being, for convenience of description, termed the shoulder-section, it forming the engaging-shoulder of the head. This section D is movable transversely to the direction of length of the coupler, and preferably vertically, as shown, it being moved up to release thevcoupling and down to position to form a part of the hook or jaw C. The jaw C is curved outwardly, as shown, to facilitate the entrance of the opposite coupling-shoulder. The jaw C projects longitudinally forward from the draw-bar,`and in its inner side is formed the vertical dovetailedi recess c opening into the throat of the head, said recess passing entirely through the said jaw and being adapted to receive the stem or rib D', formed integral with the movable shoulder-section D, whereby said shoulder is capable of a vertical movement in the jaw C. The shoulder-section extends transversely to Serial No. 351,195. (No model.)

inward, and is somewhat hook-shapedonv its inner side, as shown, whereby a positive coupling is effected with the mating shoulder-section of the opposite draw-head. The shoulbottom equal to the head B; but the stem or rib D projects a short distance below the lower faceof said shoulder-section, whichproj ection portion serves to steady the shoulder when in an elevated position. The projecting portion of the stem orrrib D has sufficient lateral play in the recess c to permit the elevated shoulder-section to be moved sidewise, so that its lower face will rest upon the upper face of the jaw C. In this manner the shouldersection is held in an elevated position to allow the shoulder-section of the opposite coupler to be` inserted in the head B, and when the opposite shoulder contacts with the coupler whose shoulder is elevated, the jar is sufficient to dislocate the elevated shoulder, which will descend by its own weight, and thus automatically effectthe coupling. To limit the downward movement of the shoulder-section, th'e upper end of the stem or rib D is provided with a head or cap E, and to limit its upward movement the downwardlyprojecting portion of the stem is provided with a laterally-extendin g set-screw F, said screw working in a vertical groove G, formed in the inner face of the recess c, and extending from the lower side of the jaw C to about midway its height. The cap E is provided with an aperture e, in which is secured a chain e ,by means of which the shoulder-section is elevated. The chain eris so arranged that the shoulder can be elevated from either side or top of the car. The shoulder-sectionD is provided with a horizontal mortise d, to permit the insertion of an ordinary link, and the vertical bore d is adapted to receive the ordinary pin. By this construction my improved coupler is equally well adapted for coupling with ordinary couplers now in use.

In practice the draw-bar A and head B, consisting of the jaws C and C', are all cast in one piece, and the shoulder-section D, stem or rib D', and cap E are all formed in one piece. From this it will be seen that my coupiler' consists, essentially, of two parts` only,

the direction of length of coupler, preferably i der-section D is of a thickness .fromvtop'to ICO and those parts of such simple and -durable construction that the coupling is cheap, easily constructed, set, and operated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In the herein-described car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar having a head consisting of the rigid jaws forming the throat of the same, of a vertically-movable shouldersection sliding in one of the jaws, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a coupler, the combination of a drawbar having the head consisting of the jaws C and C', the jaw C being recessed and a vertically-movable shoulder-section sliding in said jaw C', substantially as shown and described.

3. In a coupler, the combination, with a draw-bar having the head consist-ing of the jaws C and C', the jaw C being recessed, of a shoulder-section having a rib or stem working in said recess, and a cap upon the upper end of said rib to which the elevating mechanism is attached, substantially as shown and described.

4. In av coupler, the combination, with a draw-bar having a head formed of the jaws C and C', the jaw C being recessed, of the shoulder-section provided with a rib or stem sliding in saidvrecess, a cap upon the upper end of the same to limit the downward movement of the shoulder, and to which the elevating mechanism is attached, and a stop upon the lower end of said rib or stem, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a coupler, the combination, with a draw-bar having a head formed of the jaws C and C', the jaw C being recessed, as described, of a hook-like shoulder-section having a rib or stem sliding in said recess, said shoulder having a horizontal mortise and vertical bore 4for ordinary coupling-links, a cap upon the upper end of the rib or stem to limit its downward movement, and to which the elevating mechanism is attached, a laterally-projecting stop upon the lower end of said rib, said stop working in a groove in the inner face of the recess,substantially as shown and described.

HENRY GALLAGER. Witnesses:

E. N. SULLIVAN, N. J. MURPHY. 

